Daher introduced today the TBM 980, the latest version of the popular TBM single-engine turboprop family. The major changes include Garmin’s third-generation G3000 Prime® avionics suite and cabin enhancements for passenger comfort.
The TBM 980 was introduced at the factory in Tarbes, France, and to a live-streamed global audience. The aircraft has been certified by EASA and validated by the US FAA, enabling the company to begin deliveries later this month.
“The TBM 980 is the sixth aircraft launched by Daher in the TBM 900-series since we acquired the TBM product line in 2014,” stated Didier Kayat, the Daher Chairman and CEO. “This underscores our firm commitment to the airplane family’s evolution through the continual application of innovation, and with our close working relationship with key suppliers.”
The TBM 980 is the first airplane to be certified under the Daher Aircraft identity. As part of the parent Daher Group’s overall restructuring, Daher Aircraft has become the legal structure that regroups all activities related to the company’s airplane product lines.
The Garmin G3000 Prime® suite includes three 14-inch edge-to-edge touchscreen displays with significant improvements in screen and image quality. A streamlined user interface, along with customizable presets, reduces pilot workload and enhances safety. Pilots can quickly access shortcuts for radios, transponder settings, flight plans, and procedures without navigating multiple menus, improving efficiency. A four-position joystick is included for scrolling and quick access to app-based interfaces.
The aircraft includes Daher’s e-copilot® technology from the TBM-900 series, including advanced weather detection, icing protection, flight envelope monitoring, an emergency descent mode, and the HomeSafe™ emergency autoland system.
The TBM 980 uses Garmin’s GWX™ 8000 all-digital radar, with excellent range and precision target imaging. The StormOptix technology automatically and more accurately provides 3D profiling of storm cells.
The aircraft is powered by the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6E-66XT and a five-blade Hartzell composite propeller, with a digital Engine and Propeller Electronic Control System (EPECS) for single lever operations and reduced pilot workload from earlier models.
Daher delivered 51 TBM 960 aircraft in 2025, and with the new model, should see continued high demand. 75% of the deliveries were in the Americas, with 23% in Europe. The TBM also found an expanding market to utilize the TBM as a “bird-dog” aircraft in firefighting missions, proving itself reliable with the Canadian-based Conair Group. As of the end of 2025, a total of 1,294 TBMs had been delivered worldwide.
The Bottom Line
Continuous improvement makes products better, and Daher’s commitment to innovation has resulted in another model for the successful TBM family: the TBM 980 replaces the TBM 960. Daher is continuing its research on low-carbon aircraft and expects to incorporate new technologies in its aircraft before 2030 to reduce emissions.
Views: 0
About The Author
